1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns a surgical procedure which uses a funnel for guiding particulate bone into position for impaction into the site of a fusion mass.The novel surgical procedure is especially useful for posterior or posterolateral intertransverse process spinal fusions. The invention also concerns a surgical funnel that can be used in the novel surgical procedure.
2. Description of Related Art
It is common to perform a fusion by impacting particulate bone, typically consisting of a mixture of both cancellous and cortical bone pieces plus blood clots. The usual procedure involves retracting tissue away from the site to be reconstructed, preparting the recipient site, dumping the particulate bone a little at a time onto the site, and then impacting the particulate bone with a bone tamper. The dumping usually is done with a small spatula or spoon, usually somewhat haphazardly because it is difficult to direct the particulate bone with any sort of precision. If the particulate bone is not confined to the recipient site, it tends to become contaminated by soft tissues while being pushed into position, and this may ultimately result in segmentation of the fusion. After the particulate bone has been tamped into place, the fusion may be covered with an oxidized cellulosic gauze which remains in place, thus adding fibrous tissue to the particulate bone.